1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector, particular to an electrical connector having a projecting terminal and a housing body formed with a terminal receiving chamber, and the projecting terminal is received in the terminal receiving chamber and locked by a locking lance.
2. Related Art
FIGS. 8 and 9 show such a conventional electrical connector disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2002-324613. FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing the connector 100. FIG. 9 is a perspective, sectional view of a housing body 12 constituting the connector 100. The connector 100 serves to connect a female connector (not shown) to a male terminal 21 projected on a base plate 20.
As shown in the drawings, the connector 100 has the housing body 12 provided with a projecting terminal T. The projecting terminal T has a terminal base 11b received in the terminal receiving chamber and a projection portion 11a extending from an opening 12a of the housing body 12. The projecting terminal T has a male terminal part defining the projection portion 11a engaged with a female terminal of another connector (not shown), and the projecting terminal T has a female terminal part defining the terminal base 11b engaged with the male terminal 21 of the base board via an inner opening 12b. That is, the projecting terminal has the male and female terminal parts.
The connector 100 has a cylindrical case 13 receiving the housing body 12. The housing body 12 has a length so that a leading end of the projection portion 11a may be extended from a projection opening 13a of the case 13. The case 13 has a locking protrusion 13b for locking a housing of an associated female connector (not shown).
A leading end of the projection portion 11a of the connector 100 is extended from the projection opening 12a of the housing body 12. The projection portion 11a is exposed externally when the case 13 is removed for packaging or transporting the housing body 12 having the terminal T. This possibly causes deformation of the projection portion 11a. Particularly, when the projection portion 11a has a smaller diameter, deformation of the projection portion 11a occurs more likely.
Such conventional connectors are also disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. H-10-312853, Japanese Patent No. 3634111, and Japanese Patent No. 3387438.